PICTURES: Community cafe throws a lifeline to those in need from its new premises in Thurso town centre
Thurso Community Café (TCC) held a special event this week with guests invited along to see its new premises at Traill Street.
With another entrance around the corner on Cowie Lane, it is hard to miss the bright new cafe in the centre of town that has so much to offer the people of Thurso.
Ann Brock was instrumental in setting up the original TCC at the harbour area of the town back in 2018. “We really just needed a bigger venue and we’re really chuffed with this place,” she said.
“We’ve got the cafe, the games room, food larder, meeting room and clothing room. It just covers everything we would want to do with a little bit of room to expand if we wanted to as well.”
Ann says that TCC “is what it says on the tin” and is run by donations. “We really need the support of the community to come in and have a cup of tea,” she adds.
“We expand from that and offer support to people who are struggling with substance abuse. There’s the food larder with lots of free food from CFINE and a clothing section with lots of free clothes along with some which are very cheap to buy.
“We also have home starter packs for people who are starting off with a new house.”
TCC has secured funding over the next three years for a specialist support worker dealing with drug and alcohol issues to go out and about in the local community as well.
For the preview event on Tuesday afternoon, many from the third sector in Caithness were invited along together with local churches to see how TCC operates to better the community.
“I just want to emphasise that the community cafe is for the community but needs to be supported by the community so we can support people out there in the community. The more people that come in and have a cup of coffee and put money in the pot helps provide a lifeline and will allow us to branch out.
“We also want to try and open up in the evening. A lot of people struggling with substance misuse find the evenings a great struggle.”
Louise Macinnes is the cafe manager at the new premises but has been with TCC since it started six years ago. “This is our welcoming event and I’m really looking forward to working here,” she said.
“Things were getting too small for us down at the harbour and there wasn’t enough room for us to function and do all the things that we do. We do counselling for people and support people in the community with drug and alcohol problems and mental health issues. There was nowhere private and secure you could go with them.”
The new cafe has a space where people can relax and talk about their issues without feeling judged. The atmosphere is relaxed and cosy with a great sense of freedom with its various spaces.
TCC states that is a Community Interest Company which is intended to provide support – food, emotional support and the opportunity to volunteer – to those struggling and disadvantaged within the community.
The cafe has a dedicated website at: www.thursocommunitycafe.co.uk/ and a Facebook page which can be found at: www.facebook.com/thursocommunitycafe
The cafe operates on a ‘pay what you can’ basis with a community larder and a supported volunteer programme. It also hosts an addiction recovery support group. It states that it aims to benefit the most vulnerable in the community and the cafe is intended as “a place which helps combat isolation as well as address food poverty”.
